For those of us who are able to drive cars and use vehicles on a daily basis, it is expected that at some point in our lives we will either be involved in or come across a serious car accident. Knowing what to do in this situation is extremely important as it could possibly mean the difference between life and death for the person or people involved. Although this sounds like a lot of responsibility, not everyone is expected to have extensive medical training and be able to save victims’ lives, but we should all at least have an idea of the steps we should take to ensure that those victims do not succumb to injuries sustained in the accident due to our inactivity. As everybody knows, the first thing you must do is call the emergency services so that they have time to respond to the call and arrive on scene as soon as possible. When contacting the emergency services, the operator will ask you basic questions such as where the accident took place, how many vehicles or people were involved and how serious you estimate the injuries to be. In some cases they may even ask you to assess the severity of injuries whilst being given guidance by the operator. As you arrive on the scene of a serious car accident, you must first ensure that you, yourself are safe. You should be aware of the traffic situation and whether there is any danger of further accidents due to reduced visibility, or whether the vehicles involved are in precarious positions (could they roll over?). Also have a quick look for any leaking petrol or gas that may ignite. If you do spot something that could cause further injury to the people involved or yourself, you should notify the emergency services of the situation and be prepared to wait until more help arrives if it is too dangerous to proceed. Once you are certain that you are safe, check on the condition of all persons involved in the accident. Speak to each person, shout if you have to, in order to determine how bad their injuries (if they have any) are. The people that do not respond should be your priority. Do not attempt to move passengers from vehicles unless there is an immediate threat to their life from fire, electrocution or crush trauma. The people involved in the accident that can move by themselves and exit the vehicle(s) need to be taken away from the scene of the accident as soon as possible, just so that they are out of further danger and given a chance to begin recovering. Most people will suffer from shock and will need comforting. They will feel nauseated, dizzy, confused and possibly cold, because of the increased adrenalin and hydrocortisone. Try to keep them warm and as comfortable as possible until the emergency services arrive. Learn more – Fatal Accident Claim